Something Old, Something New
by dolly.the.sheep
Summary: nothing to do with weddings the phrase just fits! Boxing Day, the Doctor tests out his new body. inspired by a livejournal comic by nekochan42.


_"The hills are alive with the sound of music … with songs they have sung for a thousand years …"_

"'The Sound Of Music'," Rose announced as the Doctor strode into the living room with a freshly-bought bag of jelly babies. He flopped down on the sofa next to her and wrinkled his nose up at the sight of Julie Andrews waxing lyrical about the hills of Nazi Austria.

"Oi!" Jackie said loudly. "Nothing wrong with this film!"

"Mum, you say that every year."

"Well, it's true! That Julie Andrews, she's something else. Hasn't she got a marvellous voice?" Jackie sighed and gazed at the television screen. "Wish I could sing like that."

"You _try_ to when you're drunk," Rose muttered. Jackie ignored her, humming along badly with the music. Surreptitiously, Rose leaned in towards the Doctor.

"Alien."

"Hmm?" he said distractedly.

"Julie Andrews."

"What about her?"

"Come on, all those high notes, the constant perky nature … gotta be an alien."

The Doctor merely smiled enigmatically and tapped the side of his nose. Rose grinned.

"Right," the Doctor announced, sitting up and patting his thighs. "Who wants a cup of tea?"

"Only if it's normal tea," Jackie said warningly. "Y'know, with PG Tips. And milk out of a cow."

"Mum, that's the only place you CAN get milk."

"Can't you get alien milk from other things?"

"It's not milk. It's just … stuff. Milk only comes out of a cow."

The Doctor cleared his throat loudly. "Yay or nay?" He paused suddenly. "Yay or nay. Not sure if that works … yay or nay …" Rose gave him the 'You're Doing It Again, Doctor' look (number 57) and he cleared his throat again. "Yay or nay?"

"Yes please from me," Rose said. "Mum?"

"Go on, then," she said melodramatically. The Doctor grinned as he leapt up and bounded towards the kitchen, pottering about with the kettle and mugs like he'd lived there all his life.

"I don't know where he gets it from," Jackie said, peering at the Doctor through the open kitchen door. "It's Boxing Day, for goodness' sake! He was out for the count til yesterday morning!"

"Yeah, but he's different, mum," Rose said. "New body, new energy, I s'pose." Jackie shrugged and they both turned their attention back to the television, the kettle boiling in the background.

The Doctor paced around the kitchen, familiarizing himself with the layout. For some reason, he felt more at home in Jackie's flat in this body. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that the Tylers helped him through his regeneration sickness. Perhaps it was just fluke. Either way, he was quite pleased with the way things were turning out. Humming 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day', he watched the kettle boil and absent-mindedly cracked his knuckles. It was a good ten seconds before he realised what he'd done, and stared down at his hands in amazement. He cracked his knuckles again before gazing back down at his new hands excitedly.

"Rose!" he yelled out. He heard a grumpy sigh before he heard her reply.

"What?"

"I can crack my knuckles!"

"… Doctor, you could do that _before_ you regenerated."

"Yes, but I can still do it now! The new hands still do what my old hands used to!" As he wondered what else he could do, the water boiled and the Doctor filled three mugs with tea before carrying them through to the living room and placing them on the coffee table in front of them. He stared at his cup for a while before jumping up and whipping his suit jacket off.

"Doctor, what—" But Rose never got to finish her sentence. She and Jackie both gawped as the Doctor suddenly and swiftly bent over to touch his toes, giving them both an opportunity to notice just how tight-fitting his trousers were. The Doctor straightened up again and turned around to look at Rose, beaming. Rose forced her head up to meet his eyes.

"I can touch my toes!" he exclaimed happily. "I've not been able to do that since my Fifth incarnation!" He looked around the room for inspiration. "Wonder what else I can do …" he muttered to himself as Rose and Jackie exchanged slightly bemused looks. They watched as he tried (and failed) to wrap his hand around his elbow, lick his elbow, cross his eyes, and belch on cue. After two minutes of watching him apparently doing nothing, Rose ventured a question.

"Doctor, what are you doing?"

"I'm seeing what this body is capable of."

"Right. And what are you doing now?"

"I'm just … trying …" His eyes started to move from side to side, reminding Rose of a hideous old clock Shareen's nan had in her flat – a cat whose eyes moved back and forth while its body remained motionless. The look of utter concentration on the Doctor's face would have been hilarious had Rose not been so confused.

"Er … Doctor?" she asked tentatively.

"Hang on …" he replied, his eyes still flicking back and forth. There was a pause of about ten seconds before Rose tried again.

"Doctor, what—"

"WAIT."

Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right.

"Doctor—"

"CURSES!" he yelled vehemently, making Jackie jump. "I can't wiggle my ears any more." He leaned back in the sofa and pouted. "I liked being able to wiggle my ears."

"Don't pout, Doctor," Rose admonished. "It makes you look about five years old."

The Doctor had no response for that. Instead, he stuck his tongue out at Rose, who responded by rolling her tongue at him. Instinctively, the Doctor stuck out his own tongue, also rolled, before he gasped loudly and ran to the mirror in the hallway to inspect his tongue.

"I CAN ROLL MY TONGUE!" he yelled ecstatically. He ran back to the living room and showed Rose again, before running back to the hall. "I've been trying for CENTURIES to roll my tongue!" He ran back to Rose again. "Look Rose – " He stuck out his rolled-up tongue and literally bounced on the balls of his feet before grinning widely at her. "Rolly tongue!" He plonked himself down next to her and folded his arms with an air of smugness and certainty.

"That's it," he announced, ignoring Rose's attempt to stifle a giggle and Jackie's half-bemused, half-horrified face. "I'm never regenerating again."


End file.
